Blake closed the hotel room door behind her and released a sigh of relief at finally being alone. While they set everything up at the local police station she had longed for some privacy; she wasn't oblivious to how everyone had stared at her bruised face. Finally the sheriff had asked if she had gotten into close combat with an unsub. She had managed to deliver the lie in a way that actually made him believe her, but then again, he didn't know her the way her team did. It was almost always easier to lie to strangers.

She dropped her bag on the bed and kicked off her shoes. She was hungry, but going outside again - even if it only was down to the hotel restaurant - meant that she would have to interact with other people, and she just wanted to be alone. For the same reason she wasn't going to call room service either. Well, she had gone to bed hungry before, it was no big deal. She would have to compensate for it with a big breakfast, but she'd rather do that then look anyone in the eye right now.

Keeping her lies straight was tiring work; each bruise had to come with a story and it was up to her to create that story. The ones on her neck some time ago had been the most difficult to make up a story about; you simply don't bump into things and get bruises on your neck. Luckily - if you could call that luck - it was around the same time she had been chained by the Replicator and although the bruises hadn't appeared until almost a week later, she still had gotten away with that lie.

Which begged the question; why did she protect someone who hurt her? She had told countless abused women to trust the system and get restraining orders if they were afraid of their partners, and yet she knew she would never be able to trust it herself if it came to that. There was only one way out of this situation, and that was death, whether it was his or hers. It all came down to one choice, when you thought hard enough about it. Murder… or suicide.

Alex Blake touched her gun as if reassuring herself that it was still there. Then she went and took a shower.

"What do you know about her husband?" Rossi asked. JJ finished her fries and thought hard.

"I know that he's a doctor, that he works to and fro with Doctors Without Borders… they've been married for seventeen years. Oh, and that he's an amazing husband."

Rossi raised his eyebrows.

"That's what she keeps saying. How he understands and respects her. How he sometimes surprises her and comes home earlier than expected when he works abroad."

"No doubt doing it to control her and keep her in terror," Rossi mumbled. "Though most abusive partners wouldn't allow their spouse to have a job that involves travel."

"But he tried to keep her closer to home, did you know that? When he got a job offer in Boston, he tried to make her come with him. He had already gotten her a job there. She turned it down."

"When was this?"

JJ smiled. It wasn't a nice smile at all.

"Guess."

"I don't have to. Can we pull the hospital records and see if she really did have appendix surgery like she told us… or if it was something completely different."

"Garcia probably could… but can we really keep snooping like this? Alex is never going to forgive us if she finds out."

"Maybe not, but that's a price I'm willing to pay if that makes her safe."

JJ nodded.

"I'm calling Garcia."

"Can you tell me why I'm searching through the medical records of one of our own?" Garcia asked as she started a search.

"Because I don't think the reason she was admitted was her appendix," JJ replied and pinched the bridge of her nose. But I hope I'm wrong, she added inwardly. She tried to recall if she had seen a scar that would indicate truth behind the surgery story, but she couldn't.

"You are making a whole lot of non-sense now, sweet JJ, but your wish is my command and I pull the records as we speak… oh."

"What?"

"You were right… two broken ribs, one of which scratched and nearly punctured her lung. It says that she claims to have been in a car crash? How come I never heard of this accident?"

"Because it wasn't an accident and there was no car crash," JJ replied heavily. Garcia was quiet for a few seconds, processing the information she received between the lines.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm afraid so."

Garcia kept tapping at the keys and then the sound came to an abrupt stop, followed by a whimper. "Oh bless her heart, it's not the first time."

"What did you find?"

"I'm looking at her medical records from before she joined the team, and periodically she has been admitted to a dozen different hospitals with a dozen different injuries, among others a broken wrist, another fractured rib, and…"

Garcia fell silent.

"What?" JJ asked.

"Keep her away from him," the tech analyst said. "I don't care if you have to kidnap her, but do not let my Word Sorceress go back home if that creep she's married to is there."

"What did you find?"

"A 'miscarriage'. Apparently she was so battered her own life was at risk. JJ, don't even let her talk to him if you can stop it. That's what they do, you know. They talk. They degrade and fill you with poison long before they first strike and that's what they do whenever you try to get loose. They talk you back, and they talk you down. And when they become violent, you feel like you deserve it even if you know you don't. Believe me JJ, I know."

It was JJ's turn to be quiet. Then she said;

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"My old mistake never put me in the E.R, but he would have if I hadn't found the strength to walk."

"How did you find that strength?" JJ asked.

"Through my very own Chocolate Thunder," Garcia replied. "He got me out of that mess, and now we have to do the same for Blake. We're the good guys, right?"

"Yes, we're the good guys," JJ said. "Thanks, Garcia."

She hung up and went back to Rossi.

"I have to talk to her."

"Thread carefully. I asked her straight up and she did not respond well to that."

JJ nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind."

A/N

I just wanna point out that crazy CM fan and I do not try to steal each other's ideas. :P It's merely a matter of the "great minds think alike"-factor.

I always thought there was something off about Blake's husband; I thought he was a bit too controlling. Maybe I'm just too independent, but I didn't think the way he got her a new job and just expected her to come along was sweet, I thought it was a bit creepy. And what kind of a husband doesn't discuss a big topic, such as moving, with his wife before he has already decided to do it? Nah, sorry, there was just something about that guy that made me suspicious of him.

As always, reviews keeps the muse happy. She's a weird one and chocolate chip cookies only goes so far in keeping her calm and content. :P